FORMULA 1 - 2014

[ptrthgr8]

I would be all for ditching these obnoxious V6 motors. They're offensive to all five senses. I gave it a season, but I still get annoyed every time you see the car and don't hear the F1 sound. I mean, c'mon. It's like a bunch of irritated bumble bees running around the track. I want the motors to spool up to 17K rpm. I want to hear the scream from the engine! I suppose ditching the 100kg/hr fuel limit might allow the these hybrid engines to run faster than 10K rpm (or whatever they're effectively limited to now with that fuel consumption limit), but even at 17K rpm I suspect these current motors still won't have the same soul.

Maybe 2014 was FIA's "New Coke" moment. Maybe they intended to release a sup-bar product, knowing full well that when they brought back the original formula the fans would go nuts and they'd rake in even more cash than they were before the change.

I would be 100% okay if that's the case.

Cheers,

~ Greg ~

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Ricciardo: I can win the title

Daniel Ricciardo believes he has what it takes to win the Drivers' Championship, saying he has proved that he can race at the front.

The Australian was a breath of fresh air in a season that was dominated by Mercedes team-mates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg as he was the only non-Merc driver to win a race.

In fact he won three races in his debut season with Red Bull in 2014 and finished third in the Drivers' Championship - 71 points ahead of his team-mate Sebastian Vettel.

With Vettel off to Ferrari next year, Ricciardo is expected to lead Red Bull's change in 2015 and he sees no reason why he can't challenge for the title.

"I definitely think I can," he said. "It's a long season and a lot comes into play, but I definitely believe if I got the opportunity and the equipment behind me, then I can do it.

"I proved this year I'm a race winner and can race hard at the front and deal with the pressure."

After four consecutive doubles, Red Bull finished 2014 empty handed with Mercedes making a clean sweep, but Ricciardo says everyone at Milton Keynes is determined to regain the titles.

"I wouldn't say (the team) are furious, but they've lost the number one spot this year," he said.

He added: "I know they're hungrier than ever to get back on top. I believe my guys have a bit more hunger than everyone else right now."

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Bernie deals Qatar's F1 hopes a blow

Qatar's hopes of hosting a Formula 1 race appear to be dependent on the promoters from Bahrain and Bernie Ecclestone admits their chances are not looking good.

Qatar has become a bit of sports Mecca with the country due to host the 2019 World Athletics Championships and the Football World Cup three years later.

The Losail International Circuit in Doha already hosts MotoGP and World Superbike races and there have been talk in recent months that the track could add F1 to its portfolio.

Ecclestone says he has held talks with officials from the oil-rich state, but adds that Bahrain - who joined the F1 calendar in 2009 - has the power to veto any plans.

"When we went to Bahrain I made a deal with the people there," he said.

"They said to me that as they were going to be something new in the area, would I give them a guarantee I wouldn't stage another race in the Gulf, and I said yes.

"It was a typical Ecclestone handshake deal with the Crown Prince.

"But then Abu Dhabi wanted a race. I explained to them the position I was in, and I said to them, 'You better ask the people in Bahrain. If they're happy, I'm happy, if not, we won't (go)'.

"So they got together and that's what happened.

"Now this other race has been proposed, so I put the people together and said 'Can you sort this out between you?'. They haven't managed to do it."

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Eric Boullier: Fernando Alonso will challenge McLaren-Honda F1 team

McLaren racing director Eric Boullier reckons his Formula 1 team will face a challenge in managing new signing Fernando Alonso's expectations.

Alonso's return to McLaren from F1 rival Ferrari was confirmed on Thursday, when the Woking team revealed that it would retain 2009 world champion Jenson Button as Alonso's team-mate for 2015.

Boullier agreed the capture of double world champion Alonso represented a significant coup for the new McLaren-Honda partnership, but admitted it would be tough to manage the Spaniard's competitive desire while the project gets up to speed.

"I know it's going to be challenging, [but] you have to take it as a huge positive," Boullier said.

"This is the kind of commitment and dedication you want.

"We gain the best driver in the world today, and to have convinced Fernando to stop his last two years of contract with Ferrari to join us, that means a lot for me.

"It means he believes in what we are building.

"Clearly he's going to challenge us every day. To be honest with you, he's texting me every day already!

"He's really on it. This is the kind of boost we were looking for."

Alonso's last tenure at McLaren in 2007 ended in an acrimonious split, something Alonso admitted this week was the biggest regret of his career.

Boullier said he foresees no such trouble when Alonso pairs up with Button next year.

"I think both these drivers are mature enough to be easy to manage," Boullier added.

"The problem we may face, which is a nice problem to have, is to manage them on-track.

"Off-track, I think it's going to be easy."

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McLaren's 2015 Formula 1 car passes crash tests

McLaren has become the first Formula 1 team to announce that its 2015 car has passed all the FIA's mandatory crash tests.

The Woking squad, which reunites with Honda for next season, has yet to reveal a launch date for its new design. Pre-season testing begins at Jerez on February 1.

The early confirmation that McLaren has completed the crash tests is in contrast to the team's 2014 car, which did not get through the process until a week before pre-season testing began, having faced a race against time to get approval to take to the track.

In recent years F1 regulations have been tightened to ensure that cars pass crash tests before taking to the track at all, rather than just having to do complete the tests before the opening grand prix.

McLaren finalised its 2015 driver line-up earlier this week when it re-signed Jenson Button and finally announced the return of Fernando Alonso.

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Sporting director Steve Nielsen leaves Toro Rosso F1 team

Steve Nielsen has left his role as sporting director at the Toro Rosso Formula 1 team.

The highly-experienced Briton had worked at the Italian squad since the start of 2013, when he joined after a period at Caterham.

Nielsen has held a variety of roles at major teams during a long F1 career that has included stints at Arrows, Benetton/Renault, Tyrrell and the original Lotus operation.

Toro Rosso declined to reveal the reason for Nielsen's departure.

The team goes into 2015 with an all-new driver line-up, as rookies Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz Jr replace Red Bull-bound Daniil Kvyat and the ousted Jean-Eric Vergne.

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ARRIVABENE: FERRARI ON THE ATTACK UNTIL WE ARE BACK WHERE WE SHOULD BE

The traditional Gestione Sportiva Christmas Lunch for all the Ferrari staff and representatives of its technical and commercial partners took place on Saturday.

It began with a word about Jules Bianchi and Michael Schumacher, two drivers who are very dear to the Maranello team and who are currently fighting a long and difficult battle.

The first speaker was Maurizio Arrivabene, who made his inaugural appearance at the lunch in his new role of Managing Director of the Gestione Sportiva and Scuderia Team Principal, after many years as part of the senior management at Philip Morris.

Arrivabene also paid tribute to Emilio Botin, the Santander Bank President, who passed away in early September, before describing his feelings on taking on his new role.

“I am very proud to work for this company, which is the best there is. A company is it’s people and in this case, they are special people. Now we are here to look forward to Christmas, but as from January, I want to see you not on the defensive but on the attack, because the aim is to get the Scuderia back where it should be.”

On the stage was a Ferrari F14 T, as well as an Alfa Romeo 6C, the car raced by the very first Scuderia Ferrari drivers, when the team was established 85 years ago.

Piero Ferrari paid tribute to the courage of his father who, in 1929, which was a year of great crisis, decided to enter gentlemen racers in Alfa Romeos.

The President of FIAT-Chrysler Automobiles, John Elkann, also spoke about Ferrari and Alfa Romeo, stressing the strong ties between Ferrari and the Agnelli family.

“Ever since my grandfather did a deal with Enzo, Ferrari has been something completely special for us. With mutual respect we have always worked together, getting great results,” said Elkann.

“We are very closely linked to Ferrari and we are working on ensuring it has an even better future. On the track too, there is a lot of work to do, but we are determined to make available everything necessary to get the Scuderia back on the right road. I am pleased to see there’s also an Alfa Romeo on stage because 2015 will also be an important year for this great marque,” added Elkann.

Ferrari 2014 driver line-up (L to R) Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso, Pedro de la Rosa and Marc Gene

President Sergio Marchionne ended the lunch with these words. “In this room, there are many very talented people. I am here to get you working at your best and to give you the necessary resources, which when combined with your ability will put our fantastic driver pairing in a position to fight for the front row. That’s why I decided to bring in Maurizio Arrivabene, who will ensure that you and Ferrari will benefit from very efficient leadership. I have full confidence in Maurizio.”

“He has known this world for a long time and has the ability to steer the Scuderia in what is a difficult period for it and for Formula 1 in general. Do not fear change, be proactive and have the courage to come up with ideas. I know you can do it and that’s what Ferrari needs.”

President Marchionne went on to thank the technical and commercial partners. “Thanks to you all. True partnerships can be seen in difficult moment like these and not for a single day did I feel your support was lacking and I assure you that has not gone unnoticed.”

With the lunch over, John Elkan, Piero Ferrari, Maurizio Arrivabene and Ferrari Managing Director Amedeo Felisa stepped up on stage to wish everyone well and then it was time for photos all round, with the man who will be team-mates with Sebastian Vettel next year, Kimi Raikkonen being particularly in demand, as well as Fernando Alonso making his last appearance in Ferrari.

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VERSTAPPEN CHOOSES NUMBER 33 FOR F1 CAREER

Formula 1’s soon to be youngest ever driver Max Verstappen has confirmed on Twitter that he will use number 33 in Formula 1.

At 17 Verstappen will become the youngest driver in Formula 1 history when he he makes his Toro Rosso debut at next year’s Australian GP

Meanwhile Verstappen’s team-mate and fellow rookie, Carlos Sainz, has chosen 55 to be his number.

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TOST: TALENTED FIGHTER KVYAT CAN BECOME TOP F1 DRIVER

Toro Rosso F1 team boss Franz Tost believes Daniil Kvyat is destined to be a force in Formula 1 as the Russian youngster prepares for his first season with Red Bull alongside Daniel Ricciardo.

Red Bull, who own Toro Rosso, snubbed Jean Eric Vergne at the end of 2013 by promoting Ricciardo to the team, a year later it was the same story for the Frenchman as Kvyat was promoted, and with it Vergne was marginalised despite outscoring the Russian youngster last season.

Nevertheless, Tost agrees with the decision to fast-track the Russian and said on the team’s website, “Daniil has done an excellent job being a rookie and has shown in this first year in F1 to be a very fast driver and to have the potential to become one of the top drivers.”

Tost explained, “His strong motivation to learn and to achieve, his focus on how to improve his performance during the season, his great talent and his fighter attitude have given him the chance to step up quite quickly and to get the chance to move to Red Bull next year.”

Meanwhile Tost admitted that ousting Vergne to make way in the team for highly rated Carlos Sainz was a tough call, but had to be made to adhere to the Toro Rosso ethos of nurturing young talent.

Tost said, “With Jean-Eric, it was a difficult decision to let him go because there’s no doubt he is a very talented driver, but our team’s remit is to bring on the youngsters in the Red Bull Junior Driver programme and he had completed three seasons with us.”

“Our French driver [Vergne] had more than his fair share of bad luck this year and could have finished an impressive fifth in Monaco and he delivered another strong street circuit performance, to come home sixth in Singapore,” added Tost.

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DNF for Vergne as Buemi wins

Jean-Eric Vergne's maiden race in Formula E ended with a retirement, but fellow former F1 driver Sebastian Buemi claimed the victory in the third round in Punta del Este in Uruguay.

Just weeks after confirming that Toro Rosso has decided not to offer him a new contract, Vergne signed up for the Andretti team for the race in South America.

And he made an excellent start as he claimed pole position on Saturday ahead of fellow F1 driver Nelsinho Piquet of the China team with Nicolas Prost and Buemi from the e.dams third and fourth.

Having initially swapped places with Piquet during the opening few laps, Vergne found himself running in second place behind Buemi with only a handful of laps remaining.

The Frenchman's Andretti team-mate Matthew Brabham was involved in a crash with four laps to go and it brought out a Safety Car.

It opened the door for Vergne to push hard at the res-start and Buemi made a mistake as he locked up, but the debutant couldn't take advantage as his car suddenly slowed down due to a broken front suspension.

He was forced to retire with Buemi going on to win the race ahead of Piquet with Lucas di Grassi from Abt completing the podium. It was an ex-F1 top six with Jarno Trulli, Jaime Alguesuari and Bruno Senna following.

Di Grassi now leads the standings with 58 points with Buemi 18 points adrift.

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Bernie: Korea not keen on hosting race

Bernie Ecclestone has admitted that organisers of the Korean Grand Prix don't want to host a race next year, but he was forced to put it on the calendar for legal reasons.

The race at the Yeongam circuit made its Formula 1 debut in 2010, but it was dropped this year due to poor facilities and poor attendance records.

However, several eyebrows were raised when the race made an appearance on the schedule for 2015 with the weekend of May 3 pencilled in.

"They (local organisers) would rather it not happen," Ecclestone is quoted as saying by Reuters.

"We have a contract with Korea... we have to put it on the calendar. If we hadn't have done they could have sued us. We let them off for a year on the understanding they would be back."

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What happens to F1 car parts now the season’s over?

The moment the chequered flag fell on the 2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, every car on the track became obsolete. New, faster, better models are coming for next year. So what happens to all the old chassis?

Some will be sold. Some will be kept by their teams. The most successful ones – no doubt including Mercedes’ record-breaking W05 – will continue to make appearances at events for years to come.

But what about all the spare parts or old components which were upgraded during the season? An F1 car contain an average of 80,000 components per car, and with 22 cars on the grid at the start of the season that means F1 generated 1.7 billion parts before we even start counting spares. Where do they all go?

Many of them will be kept by the teams who designed them, for fear of them falling into the hands of rivals who could use them to clean vital knowledge. That’s why Sebastian Vettel will have to wait a while to get his hands on the championship-winning Red Bull his former team has promised him – Christian Horner doesn’t want the hardware making its way to Ferrari’s factory in Maranello.

It can take several years for a new F1 car part to appear on track from its initial conception. F1 parts are not only pioneering in their design and research and development: they also involve industry-leading production processes and take time to manufacture to the right specification.

For example, brake discs can boast one of the lengthiest manufacturing processes of any F1 component. These carbon fibre discs take up to five months to produce in a delicate and scientific process of compressing and baking.

It’s the job of the operations department to ensure that these newly manufactured components are shipped on time and in pristine condition to the factory for assembly.

The first test of the season is a nerve-wracking time for teams as a high proportion of a new car will be previously untested components. However good a team’s quality assurance processes are, statistically a small number of parts are likely to fail. The majority, however, will make it through to the testing and race rounds and be pushed to the extremes of speed, vibration and temperature. Many parts will run just one race. The teams have to replace components regularly if they want to win races – that’s just a fact of the sport.

Not all the parts on a car are owned by teams. A complicated logistics operation begins once a race ends. Tyres must be scanned, checked in and out and returned to Pirelli at the race location, as F1’s tyre manufacturer keeps the details of its tyre compounds a secret. For engine customers such as Force India, engines and drive trains must be returned to their manufacturers.

Each F1 team has secure storage for their retired components and dedicated people to manage these parts once they are returned from the race. Every component in storage is logged onto the team’s database with its unique component number to ensure everything is traceable. Information about the part’s life and any relevant telemetry will be recorded too.

Once it is deemed a part is no longer capable of revealing secrets to a rival, teams make their parts available to the public. While some are simply mounted on plinths and sold, others lend themselves to more innovative treatments.

Brake discs, for example, can be re-purposed as stylish clocks. One of these clocks, supplied by specialist retailer Memento Exclusives, was offered as the top prize in this year’s Predictions Championship.

Memento Exclusives’ designers work with the teams to find new functions for old components. As well as brake discs, gear ratios are also transformed into clocks. Wheel nuts and exhaust pipes becomes lamps (pictured), wheel rims are transformed into tables, and skid blocks make great mobile phone holders.

If you weren’t able to win the brake disc clock in this year’s Predictions Championship, you can still get your hands on one of these ‘upcycled’ F1 car parts from Memento Exclusives via their website. It’s unlikely any other clock or table you can buy will have had such an interesting previous life.

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TW Steel 'Join The Team' - Jonathan Kempsell gets to join the Sahara Force India Team

Jonathan Kempsell got to be part of an official Formula One team during the Italian GP.

Earlier this year, TW Steel ran a competition across their Social Media channels for one lucky winner to ‘Join The Team’ – the outstanding prize on offer the opportunity to become a team member of Sahara Force India Formula One Team during September’s Italian Grand Prix at the renowned Autodromo Nazionale Monza.

As the ‘Official Timing Partner’ to Sahara Force India, TW Steel was excited to bring a member of the public closer to the action courtesy of its partnership with the team and where better a setting than in the final European round of the 2014 season in amongst the famed ‘Tifosi’ of Italy.

The winner, Jonathan Kempsell, already has a pretty cool job working for Tesla Motors in the United Kingdom but for the Italian Grand Prix he got to ‘Join The Team’ and work with Sahara Force India experiencing life behind the scenes of a Grand Prix weekend.

We caught up with Jonathan on his return from Italy to get his thoughts on his BIG TIME prize.

Q: When you first entered TW Steel’s ‘Join The Team’ competition, did you ever think you’d be the lucky winner?

Jonathan Kempsell (JK): “No! I’ve never won anything like this before, it was amazing.”

Q: What motivated you to enter? Have you been a lifelong fan of Formula One™?

JK: “I’ve always loved F1 and TW Steel watches. I also studied Motorsport Technology at university so to have a chance to see F1 up close and personal really motivated me to enter.”

Q: How were you feeling when you first arrived at Monza, knowing you were actually going to be working for Sahara Force India and experiencing a Grand Prix weekend at close quarters?

JK: “We pulled into the circuit, parked up and then went through the turnstiles into the paddock. It was at that point I knew it was going to feel special as it was a side of the sport I’d never seen before. It was amazing to walk past all the other team trucks and hospitality units and then get to ‘home’ for the weekend at Sahara Force India’s paddock base.”

Q: How much of the Monza atmosphere were you actually able to soak up while fulfilling your duties? Did you get to experience the passion of the legendary ‘Tifosi’ at any point?

JK: “I got to walk the entire circuit with the drivers and engineers and that really allowed me to take in some of the atmosphere and of course see and hear the fans. It also gave me a completely different view of the track and all its gradients and turns, something TV just can’t capture.”

Q: What one thing surprised you most that you hadn’t expected in terms of your unique ‘behind the scenes’ look at a Grand Prix weekend?

JK: “The long hours everyone on the team puts in. That, and just how quickly they break down the paddock while the race is still taking place.”

Q: Of all the things you experienced in Monza, what stands out as your BIG TIME moment?

JK: “My Big Time moment was definitely escorting Nico (Hulkenberg) and Sergio (Perez) to the meeting area for the drivers parade and then being in the company of the whole grid.”

Q: Timing is obviously a critical element to any team and you were able to experience their time management first-hand. Is life in the team as flat-out as the action on-track?

JK: “They have a structured plan for each day and you could see during the practice sessions and the race how critical the instructions were to the second in terms of pit-stops and so on. The guys come out to execute their job as planned almost to the millisecond.”

Q: Life in the paddock is undoubtedly an exclusive experience – from a fans perspective did it meet your expectations?

JK: “It exceeded my expectations! Being there was a surreal experience when you’re used to just seeing it on TV.”

Q: Who at Sahara Force India did you enjoy working alongside the most and why?

JK: “Mark, the Team Manager. He took the time to show me around the garage and the trucks explaining how it all worked. He was amazing, as were all the staff on the team though. They really made me feel so welcome. I wish I could go to every race with them!”

Q: Has your ‘Join The Team’ experience changed the way you watch a Grand Prix now?

JK: “Well I’ll definitely be looking out for the Sahara Force India team a lot more on the TV. I have a new found respect for the hard work that goes into executing a Grand Prix weekend.”

Q: Describe your Monza weekend in five words:

JK: “Unforgettable! Money can’t buy experience!”

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ALONSO RETURN TO MCLAREN MET WITH MIXED REACTIONS

McLaren boss Ron Dennis has dismissed reports Fernando Alonso has built exit clauses into his new $50 million contract with the team which embarks on it’s second Honda era in 2015.

It is claimed the Spaniard might want to leave Woking at the end of next year, should the 2015 car not be up to scratch, or if a seat at dominant Mercedes becomes available.

But McLaren supremo Dennis was quoted by El Mundo Deportivo as saying Alonso has a clear three-year contract, “There is no exit clause, or any other inventions of the media that were published in the past days.”

McLaren and Alonso have, however, worked together before, when their marriage famously broke down amid the Lewis Hamilton pairing and the ‘spygate’ scandal of 2007.

Jacques Villeneuve, a former world champion, predicts that more trouble could be on the horizon.

“If things go well, it will be fantastic,” the 1997 title winner is quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport. “But if things go wrong, the mess will begin after six months.”

Villeneuve claims it is due simply to the nature of Alonso’s personality, but a friend of the Spaniard’s, former Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica, does not agree.

“I am a friend of Alonso,” the Pole confirmed to Formula 1 insider Leo Turrini’s Quotidiano blog, “and I do not think he has a bad temper.”

“I am sure that in the years he spent at Ferrari he gave the best of himself to hit the targets he set. Now a new great challenge begins for him. If he can bring McLaren back to the top, I think it would be the most beautiful achievement of his career,” Kubica added.

Even Alonso insisted he is not regarding McLaren as a one-year project, admitting it may take longer for McLaren-Honda to reach its goals.

“This first season will be learning,” he is quoted by EFE news agency, “as we have not seen a super-competitive McLaren in the last two or three years.

“We hope to have a good winter and then I will be happy if we can start to be competitive, we learn things, we go on the podium and win some races.”

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TODT: FERRARI IS LIKE SOMEONE WHO IS TIRED AND NEEDS A DOCTOR

Former Ferrari boss and now FIA president Jean Todt has urged the Maranello team to resist making revolutionary changes after faltering at the start of the new V6 turbo era.

Before being elected to FIA top spot, Todt presided over Ferrari’s ultra-successful Michael Schumacher era, culminating in the most recent drivers’ title earned by Kimi Raikkonen in 2007.

In 2014, the Maranello marque has appeared in crisis as Stefano Domenicali, Luca di Montezemolo, Marco Mattiacci, Fernando Alonso and others all left.

Todt, however, told the Italian broadcaster RAI that while Ferrari needed a refresh, the team should do so without a revolution.

“Ferrari is not sick,” he insisted. “That is a little too exaggerated. We all know the great charm of Ferrari in the world but even more so in Italy, where it is a very emotional issue.”

Jean Todt and Michael Schumacher during the Ferrari heyday

“This fascination sometimes means Ferrari makes decisions faster than some other teams. You could say that Ferrari is like someone who is a bit tired and needs to go to the doctor,” he said.

“The situation needs to be analysed in detail and make its plan for improving, but without a revolution. Winning is part of the history of Ferrari, but you cannot always win,” explained the Frenchman.

“I remember when we started winning, many began to say they were tired of winning because you knew the result before the race,” he recalled. “The truth is that satisfaction does not exist in either situation.”

Todt, 68, hailed Ferrari’s new team boss Maurizio Arrivabene, and also 2015 driver Sebastian Vettel, who he described as “one of the best”.

Finally, he mentioned his great friend Schumacher, whom he visits at his home in Switzerland at least once a week, and said, “It’s true, it’s been a year [since the accident], but he is young and has plenty of time to recover.”

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WILLIAMS APPOINT NIELSEN AS SPORTING MANAGER

Williams have appointed Steve Nielsen as their new sporting manager, the Formula 1 team announced on.

Nielsen, who will be responsible for Williams’ overall management and operation of sporting matters, joins from Toro Rosso where he had been sporting director since 2013.

The 50-year-old has also spent time as team manager at Tyrrell and Arrows and as sporting director at Benetton, Renault and Caterham during his 27 years in Formula 1.

“I’m delighted to be joining a team of Williams’ history and stature in what is a very exciting time for everyone at Grove after a very impressive 2014 season,” said Nielsen. “In this role I will be able to help ensure that our operations at the race track are maintaining the highest standards and that we are maximising our performance at the race track from a sporting perspective.”

“Williams’ has a very talented team of people and I’m looking forward to working with them,” he added.

Pat Symonds, chief technical officer at Williams, said, “Steve brings a wealth of experience of the sporting side of Formula One and will help us as a team as we aim to climb further up the Championship table.”

“He has won World Championships in the past and knows what needs to be done on a sporting level for Williams to do this again. We have a talented and ever improving race team and with Steve on board we are well placed to make further operational gains next season,” concluded Simmonds.

Williams enjoyed a successful 2014 season, finishing third in the constructors championship behind Red Bull and winners Mercedes.

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ECCLESTONE SAYS NO TO YOUTUBE F1 BROADCASTS

Formula 1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone has ruled out the broadcasting of grands prix on the internet.

However Ecclestone has acknowledged that despite his disparagement of things like social media, the sport must develop in this area.

Forbes reports that plans are afoot for an enhanced digital media department for Formula 1, with more staff to develop a better website, app and Twitter experience, and eventually Facebook page.

But Formula 1 business journalist Christian Sylt says Formula 1 “will never upload race footage to YouTube as it could cannibalise its television rights deals”.

Asked if Formula 1’s YouTube channel will have any actual track footage of the cars, 84-year-old Ecclestone answered simply: “No.”

Marissa Pace, who is Ecclestone’s digital media manager, said the only video content will be behind the scenes such as interviews.

Ecclestone explained: “When you [reporters] interview somebody we should really film that and put it up on YouTube because that’s something that doesn’t hurt anybody and it’s good and interesting because it’s instant.”

The Briton’s views on social media are different to those of Donald Mackenzie, the man in charge of Formula 1’s majority shareholder CVC.

That probably explains the new approach, even though Ecclestone said he will review the changes in a year and gauge whether it has made more people watch Formula 1 races on television.

“It is all about promoting the TV,” confirmed Pace.

“Our intention is not to move viewers away from the TV, it is definitely to keep viewers on the TV but to supplement that experience and make it more exciting and getting people in the grandstands.”

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KUBICA ADMITS NO SENSE TO PURSUE F1 RETURN

Grand prix winner Robert Kubica has suggested he is close to abandoning the idea of returning to race Formula 1.

Amid the Polish driver’s burgeoning Formula 1 career in early 2011, he almost severed his arm in a pre-season rally crash.

Now 30, he has returned to professional duties as a world rally driver but until now has never ruled out one day re-joining the Formula 1 circus.

He told the Ferrari insider Leo Turrini’s Quotidiano blog: “I do not miss the atmosphere of Formula 1, but I do miss driving the cars. That was the dream of my life. I was born to race on the track and I managed to do it. And then something happened.”

“Physically, I can still drive the cars. Last year I participated in some [simulator] tests, and while I cannot say the results were negative, I can’t say I achieved the same results as I did in the past. As a result, there is no sense to start all over again, so I have focused on the rally,” he added

Meanwhile, Kubica said he has great admiration for the feats this year of Formula 1’s new double world champion, Lewis Hamilton.

“The guy who impressed me the most even when we were kids was Hamilton,” said the Pole. “He deserves enormous satisfaction for what he has done in 2014.”

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ALONSO RULES OUT LE MANS FORAY IN 2015

McLaren‘s newly appointed driver Fernando Alonso says he will not be following Nico Hulkenberg’s lead by splitting his Formula 1 duties with Le Mans next year.

Prior to the confirmation there was speculation the Spaniard could join Force India driver Hulkenberg at Le Mans in the third Porsche prototype entry.

But having signed a reportedly $50 million per year deal to spearhead McLaren’s new works Honda project from 2015, Alonso was quoted by Marca newspaper as saying he will focus entirely on Formula 1 for now.

“I would not feel comfortable if I was not devoting 100 per cent to McLaren throughout the year,” Alonso said. “There is a lot of work to do here.”

“[Le Mans] is a race that I love and I am sure I will have opportunities when I am finished with Formula 1, but this year, with all that there is to do, it is not possible,” added the Spaniard.

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Ferrari appoint Gutierrez as test and reserve driver

Esteban Gutierrez has joined Ferrari as the team’s new test and reserve driver.

Gutierrez, who spent the past two seasons racing for Ferrari’s engine customer Sauber, is without a race seat for next year.

“We are pleased to be able to offer this opportunity to Esteban who, although young, has plenty of experience relating to the new generation of Formula One cars,” said Ferrari’s team principal Maurizio Arrivabene.

“I am sure that, with his experience, he will make an important contribution to the development work of the team in the simulator. Welcoming Esteban also means opening the gates of Ferrari to a driver from Mexico, a country where the Scuderia still has a lot of fans, just as was the case fifty years ago in the days of the Rodriguez brothers.”

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Hamilton: 'I want another seven years in Formula 1'

Lewis Hamilton is only half way through his Formula 1 career, if he gets his way, after declaring that he'd like to remain in the sport for another seven years.

The Briton made his rookie debut in 2007 and came within a single point of securing the title. However he had to wait until his second year in the sport to become a champion - something he is currently reliving after securing his second this year.

He's hoping to stick around for a lot longer though and he hopes to taste more success before he hangs up his racing gloves.

"I feel like I've got another seven years in F1," he told BBC Sport following his victory at the Sports Personality of the Year awards on Sunday where he beat golfer Rory Mcllroy by more than 85,000 votes.

"That's the goal," he added. "I got the first title in 2008 and now a second title, so the sky is the limit from here. I've just got to keep pushing."

Another seven years would make Hamilton 36, a year older than the grid's oldest driver, Kimi Raikkonen at 35 who will be team-mates with Sebastian Vettel, 27, at Ferrari next year.

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WOLFF: PROST GAVE VERY PRECISE ADVICE ON HANDLING LEWIS AND NICO

Formula 1 legend Alain Prost gave Mercedes crucial advice early this year to help avoid a repeat of his troubled pairing with Ayrton Senna in the late eighties.

Only in the past days has the bitter extent of the intra-team championship clash between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg become clearer.

Briton Hamilton suspected Rosberg deliberately faked a mistake to spoil his qualifying session at Monaco, and a few months later at Spa all-out “war” was declared as the pair collided.

It reminded many observers of the iconic Prost versus Senna battles of 1988 and 1989, when the fiery duo went head-to-head as dominant McLaren teammates.

Mercedes’ similar 2014 clash was managed by relative team boss newcomer Toto Wolff, who confirmed to Italy’s Autosprint this week that he took advice straight from Frenchman Prost’s mouth.

“You have to learn from past mistakes,” Wolff said. “I discussed it a bit with Niki Lauda when we signed Hamilton and Rosberg.”

“Then at the beginning of this season I was talking with Prost and I asked him his opinion about what I should do not to fall into the same all-out war situation he had with Ayrton,” Wolff explained. “Then he said the magic word — transparency.

“He told me that at the time McLaren did not act in a transparent way with the drivers. Perhaps because Senna was the last to arrive so he was the novelty.”

“Prost said that in the end he couldn’t understand how the team was organised as disagreements and rivalries between the drivers spread to the mechanics. The team was split in two.”

“So Alain gave me very precise advice not to do the same. He said: Put the two drivers on an even footing and tell everyone exactly the same things. Do not play favourites. It is the only way to contain the rivalry.”

“And so I did. It was one of the most important lessons I have learned about becoming a good team leader,” Wolff added.

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FRY AND TOMBAZIS AXED AS FERRARI REVOLUTION CONTINUES

Ferrari have parted company with chief designer Nikolas Tombazis and engineering director Pat Fry, two of the men responsible for designing this year’s car as the team endured their first season without a win since 1993.

“Nikolas Tombazis and Pat Fry will be leaving the Scuderia,” the Formula One outfit announced in a statement on Tuesday while handing structural control to technical director James Allison.

“James Allison is the Technical Director with two Italian engineers and home grown Scuderia talent reporting to him: Chief Designer Simone Resta and Power Unit Director Mattia Binotto, the latter will be supported by Chief Designer Power Unit Lorenzo Sassi, among others. Furthermore James Allison will direct track engineering activities ad interim.”

“Therefore he will be responsible for all technical aspects of delivering the Scuderia’s drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel, as well as the newly appointed test driver and third driver Esteban Gutiérrez, with the most competitive Formula 1 car possible. Furthermore, the Scuderia’s Formula 1 activities will be managed by Massimo Rivola.”

It has been a period of upheaval at Ferrari after Marco Mattiacci’s brief reign as principal ended at the end of November. The troubled Fiat-owned outfit replaced him with Maurizio Arrivabene, the team’s third boss in nine months.

The glamour team ended the season in Abu Dhabi without a single race win and the conclusion of the campaign also saw the departure of double world champion Fernando Alonso.

Germany’s four-times champion Vettel has been signed from Red Bull as the Spaniard’s replacement. Long-serving president Luca Di Montezemolo, a link with the team’s late founder Enzo, also left Ferrari last month. He has been replaced by Fiat Chrysler chief executive Sergio Marchionne.

The Ferrari Driver Academy will continue to be managed by Luca Baldisserri, reporting directly to Arrivabene. In addition, Arrivabene will manage the newly founded Commercial Department of the Scuderia ad interim. Renato Bisignani, who until now was the head of Scuderia Ferrari’s Press Office, will join the new department as Marketing Manager and Acquisition.”

The team’s press office will be run by Alberto Antonini, a seasoned Formula 1 journalist and contributor to newspapers and magazines as well as TV commentator for RAI and Sky Italia. Antonini will also oversee the newly created Ferrari digital team.

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MERCEDES READY TO COMPROMISE TO END F1 ENGINE DISPUTE

Mercedes is reportedly ready to compromise amid the Formula 1 turbo engine regulations dispute which has bubbled throughout the post season.

Backed by struggling Ferrari and Renault, Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone is so concerned about the current turbo V6 rules that at Thursday’s Strategy Group meeting he will vote to repeal them for 2016.

He rails against the noise, the cost and the complexity, but his major issue is that the regulations as they stand could mean Mercedes’ huge competitive advantage is not tracked down even by 2020.

“We can all put our money together and have a wager that Mercedes will win the championship next year which is not really the sort of thing we are looking for,” he told reporters including Forbes’ Christian Sylt in London last week.

The latest situation has arisen after rivals Ferrari and Renault tried to get Mercedes to agree to relaxing the so-called engine development ‘freeze’ for 2015.

Those efforts failed, and so Mercedes is now facing the prospect of having the regulations scrapped completely for 2016 by being out-voted at the Strategy Group.

“Well we [Formula 1 Management] have six [votes] so if we have four teams want to do that, that’s ten. There’s 18 votes so that’s the majority,” said Ecclestone.

According to Sport Bild, the situation is giving Mercedes – who have said a wholesale regulation change could cause them to quit Formula 1 – pause for thought.

The publication said it has learned that Mercedes is contemplating a compromise solution, “Mercedes insiders have already indicated that they would supply their highly-complex and extremely successful hybrid system – without the basic V6 turbo – to the competition.”

“That way, the current regulations could be maintained without the opponents fearing years of Mercedes dominance,” revealed correspondents Ralf Bach and Bianca Garloff.

The report said the proposal of a standard, Mercedes-supplied hybrid system would be not unlike the standard McLaren-supplied electronic control units that are already deployed by every Formula 1 team up and down the grid.

MIKA: You have a team that design a brilliant engine, they are successful where others have failed, they all had the same time to develop their engines yet the likes of Ferrari who had their era winning consecutive world titles, Red Bull winning consecutive world titles, BUT NOW these are the teams complaining about a team dominating a single season... Go figure!

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MONTEZEMOLO: I’M SORRY ABOUT ALONSO, BUT VETTEL IS CORRECT CHOICE

Ousted Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has backed the Italian team’s signing of Sebastian Vettel for 2015 to replace Fernando Alonso.

Amid the turmoil of Ferrari’s 2014 campaign, long-time chief Montezemolo was among the casualties as parent Fiat Chrysler’s Sergio Marchionne took over.

“I remain the biggest fan of Ferrari,” Italian media quoted Montezemolo as saying late on Monday, “even if it is the end of an era both for myself and for Ferrari. Another era opens now, perhaps more financial but still important.”

As number 1 driver Fernando Alonso’s switch to McLaren became official last week, the Spaniard explained his reasons for leaving Ferrari.

“As I still had a two-year contract, the project for the future did not appeal so I tried to find an alternative,” he was quoted by El Mundo newspaper. “I thank them for their understanding, as they could have told me to stay.”

On the matter of Alonso’s exit, Montezemolo said it was the right move for Ferrari, “I’m sorry about Fernando Alonso, but Vettel is the correct choice. He and Ferrari have the same will for revenge.”

“Will Ferrari be back winning soon? I really hope so. It’s important to want to try to win it (the championship) with spirit and passion, and then we’ll see.”

Montezemolo was in charge during Ferrari’s glory years, when Michael Schumacher notched up five consecutive Formula 1 world titles between 2000 and 2014.